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Holt HR, Walker M, Beauvais W, Kaur P, Bedi JS, Mangtani P, Sharma NS, Gill JPS, Godfroid J, McGiven J, Guitian J. Modelling the control of bovine brucellosis in India. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20220756. [PMID: 36882115 PMCID: PMC9991488 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucellosis imposes substantial impacts on livestock production and public health worldwide. A stochastic, age-structured model incorporating herd demographics was developed describing within- and between-herd transmission of Brucella abortus in dairy cattle herds. The model was fitted to data from a cross-sectional study conducted in Punjab State of India and used to evaluate the effectiveness of control strategies under consideration. Based on model results, stakeholder acceptance and constraints regarding vaccine supply, vaccination of replacement calves in large farms should be prioritized. Test and removal applied at early stages of the control programme where seroprevalence is high would not constitute an effective or acceptable use of resources because significant numbers of animals would be 'removed' (culled or not used for breeding) based on false positive results. To achieve sustained reductions in brucellosis, policymakers must commit to maintaining vaccination in the long term, which may eventually reduce frequency of infection in the livestock reservoir to a low enough level for elimination to be a realistic objective. This work provides key strategic insights into the control of brucellosis in India, which has the largest cattle population globally, and a general modelling framework for evaluating control strategies in endemic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- H R Holt
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, WOAH Collaborating Centre in Risk Analysis and Modelling, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK.,Communicable Diseases Policy Research Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - M Walker
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, WOAH Collaborating Centre in Risk Analysis and Modelling, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK.,London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, UK
| | - W Beauvais
- Comparative Pathobiology Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
| | - P Kaur
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
| | - J S Bedi
- School of Public Health and Zoonosis, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
| | - P Mangtani
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - N S Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
| | - J P S Gill
- School of Public Health and Zoonosis, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
| | - J Godfroid
- Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Hansine Hansens veg 18, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
| | - J McGiven
- WOAH Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, FAO Collaborating Centre for Brucellosis, Department of Bacteriology, Animal & Plant Health Agency, Surrey, UK
| | - J Guitian
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, WOAH Collaborating Centre in Risk Analysis and Modelling, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
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Saidu AS, Mahajan NK, Musallam II, Holt HR, Guitian J. Epidemiology of bovine brucellosis in Hisar, India: identification of risk factors and assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices among livestock owners. Trop Anim Health Prod 2021; 53:450. [PMID: 34533635 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02884-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Brucellosis caused by facultative intracellular bacteria, Brucella, remains a global threat to both animal and human health. In this study we aimed to identify potential risk factors of bovine brucellosis and to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of livestock keepers in Hisar, India. A standardized questionnaire was used to collate information regarding potential risk factors of bovine brucellosis and livestock owners' KAPs. A total of 127 livestock keepers were involved. Serum samples from their animals (n = 635) were tested for the presence of antibodies against Brucella by Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). Out of these, 78 (61.4%) of the herds had at least one seropositive animal, and 302 (47.6%) of the cattle were seropositive. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed significant associations between intensive farm type (OR = 4.6; 95% CI, 1.6-16.7; P = 0.009), hygienic disposal of aborted fetuses (OR = 0.3; 95% CI, 0.08-0.9; P = 0.04) and herd seropositivity for brucellosis. The majority, 96 (75.6%) of the respondents, were males aged 18-50, and 82 (64.6%) owned a small-backyard farm. Only 51 (40.2%) of the participants knew about brucellosis; out of them, 54.9% (28/51) could not identify clinical signs of brucellosis. Six (11.8%) participants indicated abortion as the most noticeable clinical sign, and 45.1% indicated that consumption of raw milk is associated with high risk of contracting brucellosis. A large proportion of respondents confirmed that milk from their animals was regularly consumed (86.6%) and sold (59.8%) to other people. These results suggest that bovine brucellosis is endemic in Haryana, where Brucella-contaminated milk is likely being regularly sold. Brucellosis control efforts in Haryana should include education programs to raise awareness of the disease and means to control it in cattle and to prevent zoonotic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Saidu
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, LUVAS, Hisar, 125004, Haryana, India. .,Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, P.M.B., 1069, Maiduguri, 600230, Nigeria.
| | - N K Mahajan
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, LUVAS, Hisar, 125004, Haryana, India
| | - I I Musallam
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - H R Holt
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - J Guitian
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, UK
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Holt HR, Selby R, Mumba C, Napier GB, Guitian J. Assessment of animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) vulnerability in cattle-owning communities of sub-Saharan Africa. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:53. [PMID: 26825496 PMCID: PMC4733274 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1336-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) is one of the biggest constraints to livestock production and a threat to food security in sub-Saharan Africa. In order to optimise the allocation of resources for AAT control, decision makers need to target geographic areas where control programmes are most likely to be successful and sustainable and select control methods that will maximise the benefits obtained from resources invested. Methods The overall approach to classifying cattle-owning communities in terms of AAT vulnerability was based on the selection of key variables collected through field surveys in five sub-Saharan Africa countries followed by a formal Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) to identify factors explaining the variations between areas. To categorise the communities in terms of AAT vulnerability profiles, Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) was performed. Results Three clusters of community vulnerability profiles were identified based on farmers’ beliefs with respect to trypanosomiasis control within the five countries studied. Cluster 1 communities, mainly identified in Cameroon, reported constant AAT burden, had large trypanosensitive (average herd size = 57) communal grazing cattle herds. Livestock (cattle and small ruminants) were reportedly the primary source of income in the majority of these cattle-owning households (87.0 %). Cluster 2 communities identified mainly in Burkina Faso and Zambia, with some Ethiopian communities had moderate herd sizes (average = 16) and some trypanotolerant breeds (31.7 %) practicing communal grazing. In these communities there were some concerns regarding the development of trypanocide resistance. Crops were the primary income source while communities in this cluster incurred some financial losses due to diminished draft power. The third cluster contained mainly Ugandan and Ethiopian communities which were mixed farmers with smaller herd sizes (average = 8). The costs spent diagnosing and treating AAT were moderate here. Conclusions Understanding how cattle-owners are affected by AAT and their efforts to manage the disease is critical to the design of suitable locally-adapted control programmes. It is expected that the results could inform priority setting and the development of tailored recommendations for AAT control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- H R Holt
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, London, UK. .,Department of Production and Population Health, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, UK.
| | - R Selby
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
| | - C Mumba
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Great East Road Campus, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia.
| | - G B Napier
- Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed), Doherty Building, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, UK.
| | - J Guitian
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, London, UK. .,Department of Production and Population Health, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, UK.
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